Sewing machine



Nov. 29, 1932-.

F. HICKS ET AL SEWING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 15, 1930 Nov. 29, 1932. F. RlcKs ET AL SEWING MACHINE Filed March 15, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 29, 1932. m AL 1,889,025

SEWING MACHINE Filed March 15, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 29, 1932 UNITED STTES Price FRED RICKS AND WILFRID THOMAS MINE'IT, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORA- lION OF NEW JERSEY SEWING MACHINE Application filed March 15, 1930, Serial No. 435,985, and in Great Britain April 30, 1929.

This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to boot or shoe sewing machines and is particularly, but by no means exclusively, concerned with machines which are suitable for uniting an upper of a boot or shoe to a sole or insole by a seam extending around the toe portion and wholly or partly around the remainder of the boot or shoe. For the sake of brevity the term shoe will hereinafter be used as including both boots and shoes. The invention will be explained by way of example with reference to the sewing of slipper turnshoes without a last being in the shoe at the time of the sewing by machines of the character set forth in Patent No. 1,188,388 to Arthur Bates, dated June 27, 1916, and Patent No. 1,689,846 to Reginald B. Voodcock, dated October 30, 1928, and in 7 application Serial No. 380,899, of Arthur Bates, filed July 25, 19:29.

At the present day in sewing such turnshoes the machine is run at a constant speed throughout the sewing operation. When sewing a slipper turnshoe in such a machine as last mentioned it is an advantage that the machine should run at a high speed when sewing along the side of a shoe since the time taken for the sewing operation is proportionately shortened but when sewing around the toe portion of a shoe We have observed that it would, in many cases, be an advantage (in order to obtain the best results from the sewing operation) if the speed at which the machine runs while sewing along the sides could be reduced sufficiently when sewing round the toe to allow the shoe to be manipulated relatively slowly through the machine while the sewing operation proceeds round the toe portion.

The operator of such a machine is usually called upon to pleat the upper somewhat in laying it upon the sole in position to be stitched round the toe and it is diflicult for this to be done with sufficient rapidity while the machine is running at its ordinary speed with the result that usually in sewing round the toe the machine is stopped and started several times if not indeed after every stitcha procedure which we have observed is liable to result in somewhat loose stitching. The need for such reduction of speed becomes enhanced where a machine such as that herein disclosed capable of higher speed than customary is used.

' Slipper turn shoes are usually sewn all round the sides and toe with a very long stitch because for this class of work a short stitch has been considered unnecessary and high output has been a primary consideration. It has been found advantageous, however, to reduce the feed length when the sewing operation is proceeding round the toe portionof the shoe.

Indeed, where the machine is provided as described in the application of Bates above referred to with a plurality of feeding devices which operate alternately to feed the work continuously or substantially so through the machine'we have found it to be of particular advantage to reduce the feed length when sewing round the toe of the smaller sizes of shoes so as to avoid difficulties incidental to steering the work through the machine without reciprocating elements that partake in the feed fouling the work as it is being conj ointly turned sharply and advanced.

Among other things, the present invention provides means whereby the speed at which the machine runs and also the length of feed effected by the machine can be varied'conjointly to secure at the same time the advantages above described of a relatively slow speed of operation when operating on a curve of the shoe and also the advantages to be obtained from the use of a relatively short stitch at this time.

Another of the things which the present invention provides in a shoe sewing machine is means whereby the operator can readily control the speed and feed mechanism of such a machine so that the machine can be caused to operate as regards its speed and length of stitch in a variety of combinations of speed and length of feed.

The features of the present invention will become clearer from a consideration of the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of eX- ample only, of an illustrative sewing machine in which the individual features of the pres ent invention are collectively embodied in convenient forms.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view in front elevation, partly in section, of the head of a slipper turn shoe sewing machine, similar in many respects to that shown in Figures to 12 of the pending Bates application above referred to; Fig. 2 is a detail view, looking from the right, of the two speed driving pulleys and the belt shifting devices; Fig. 3 is a detail view, in front elevation, illustrating particularly the mechanism for controlling the operation of the thread tension and belt shifting devices; Fig. 4 is a plan view illustrating substantially the parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view in front elevation illustrating particularly the feed controlling mechanism; and Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 6 of Fig. 1.

The machine herein disclosed as embodying the several features of the present invention is provided, as more fully set forth in the above mentioned Bates application, with a curved hook needle 6. and other cooperating sewing instrumentalities, and a feed point indicated at 8, the needle and feed point being reciprocated alternately along a horizontal path in such a manner as to feed the work at least substantially continuously through the machine. The needle is moved laterally to feed the work through connections with a feed bar 10 which is adapted to slide axially in the machine. The feed point is secured to the lower end of a Vertically arranged member 12 which is mounted to slide in a bracket 14 secured to a slide 16. The mechanism for actuating the slide 16 comprises the toggle links 20 and 22 which are pivotally connected at 24, the link 20 being pivotally connected to the slide 16 and the link 22 being pivotally connected to the upstanding end of a feed adjusting member 26 which is mounted to turn on a fixed pivot 28 in the machine. There is also connected to the pivot 24 one end of a link 30 which at its other end is connected to the free end of the cam actuating lever 32 which is given a constant throw through cam actuated connections with the cam shaft 18 to impart a feeding movement through the toggle connections above described to the slide 16. The bar 10 is similarly actuated through the connecting toggle links 34 and 36 which at their outer ends are connected respectively to a bracket 38 on the bar 10 and to the upper end of the feed adjusting member 26, these parts being actuated by means of a link 40 secured at one end to the pivotal connection of the toggle links and at its other end to a cam actuated lever 42.

In the illustrative machine the cam shaft 18 is driven by means of a two-speed pulley member comprising a large grooved pulley 44 which is secured to a short sleeve 46 loosely mounted on the cam shaft 18, but secured against endwise movement thereon, and a smaller grooved pulley 48 formed upon the other end of the said sleeve. A stepped idler pulley 50 is loosely mounted on the sleeve 46 between the large and smaller pulleys and its stepped face provides two idler pulley members 52 and 54 corresponding respectively in size to the large and smaller pulleys 44 and 48. The said idler pulley 50 is confined on the sleeve against endwise movement between the large and smaller pulleys so that the pulley members on the idler pulley lie close to but not touching the larger and smaller pulleys as shown. The large pulley 44 is dished as indicated at 56 to provide in its lateral face a if-shaped groove extending therearound and with its apex directed towards the smaller pulley 48. A clutch member 58 is slidably keyed to the shaft 18 on the side of the large pulley further from the smaller pulley 48 and can be moved along it to press against one side of the V-shaped groove in the lar 'e pulley so as to couple the pulleys 44 and 48 to the shaft, the contacting face of the said clutch member being covered with a leather facing 60. When the clutch member 58 is moved into clutching engagement with the large pulley 44 both the larger and the smaller pulleys will. be coupled to the cam shaft since they are both fast to the sleeve member 46. A counter-shaft (not shown) provided in the base of the machine parallel to the cam shaft 18 is provided with smaller and larger pulleys in line respective ly with the large and smaller pulleys 44 and 48 on the cam shaft and the arrangement is such that at any time a belt passing around one of the pulleys on the countershaft, say the smaller pulley, will be passing around its respective one of the pulleys on the cam shaft, in the case above indicated, the larger pulley, while a belt passing around the other of said pulleys will pass around its respective idler pulley member on the idler pulley 50 which is loosely mounted on the sleeve so that at all times the twospeed pulley member is being driven at one speed or the other as the case may be. A belt shifter 62 more fully hereinafter to be described mounted at the rear side of the pulley members and common to both belts is provided for determining which of the belts is to drive the two-speed pulley member at any given time. Conveniently the pulley diameters are so chosen that when running at high speed the cam shaft 18 makes five hundred revolutions per minute, so that the machine makes five hundred stitches per minute, and when running at low speed it makes two hundred revolutions per minute.

The means for causing the clutch member 58 to slide into clutching engagement with the two-speed pulley member, and also for causing it to act as a brake, when stopping the machine, to stop the machine with the needle and other parts in a predetermined position, is similar to the clutch mechanism described. in the specification of patent to Arthur E. Jerram No. 1,124,620 dated January 12, 1915. This means comprises a swash ring indicated at 6% which lies within a groove formed around the hub of the clutch member 58 in a plane inclined to the axis of the shaft 18. A vertical fork 66 is pivoted to the swash ring at points which form an axis on a horizontal line below the center of the shaft 18 and is allowed to oscillate idly, during rotation of the shaft, about a fixed horizontal pivot but is also adapted to be held against oscillation to open the clutch and brake the shaft by a rising and falling latch 68 under the control. of the operator. When the latch is raised it engages the lower end of the stem of the fork 66 indicated at 70 and further rotation of the clutch member causes the clutch member to move away from engagement with the two-speed pulley member along the shaft 18 and causes a face 72 on the end of the clutch member further from the pulley member to be brou ht hard against a leather covered brakin race 7f on the machineframe thereby stopping the machine in the desired position in a manner similar to that described in the specification last mentioned.

The latch 68 comprises an arm having an upturned free end 7 6 positioned beneath the lower end 70 of the stem of the fork aforesaid and the said arm is secured to a horizontal rocking shaft 7 8 extending forwardly and rcarwardly of the machine. The latch 68 is connected by a vertical rod to the right hand end of a substantially horizontal clutch controlling lever 82 extending across the machine, when viewed from the front, which is pivoted to the frame of the machine on a pivot 8% extending forwardly and rearwardly of the machine. The rod 80 is normally held at the limit of its upward movement as shown in Fig. 1 by the spring 81, one end of which is attached to the lower end of the rod. and the other end of which attached to the machine frame. The clutch lever 82 is connected to the starting and stopping treadle of the machine as will be hereinafter described. The connection between the rod 80 and the lever 82 comprises, as shown, a lost motion arrangement whereby the lever 82 may be allowed to swing in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot 84 if the treadle is allowed to rise from a lower from high to low speed or vice versa.

position even if the lower end 7 0 of the fork stem is in such a position as to prevent the latch 68 from rising to the position shown in Figure 1. The lever 82 is swung in a counterclockwise direction by the spring 83, one end of which is attached to the lever 82 between its pivot 106 and the rod 80, and the other end of which is attached to the machine frame.

In the illustrated machine, the latch 68 is also utilized as a part of the connections between the belt shifter and the treadle to actuate the belt shifter 62 to shift the belt from low speed to high speed position. These connections comprise an arm 86 secured to the rock shaft 78 and pivotally connected at its outer end to the lower end of an adjustable connecting link 88. At its upper end the link 88 is provided with a slot 90 adapted to receive a pin 92 formed on a horizontall extending arm 94: of the belt shifter 62.

An adjustable stop screw 96 is mounted in the upper end of the link 88 to engage with the pin 92 of the belt shifter, and provides a convenient means of adjusting the amount of play in the connections. Two stop screws 98 mounted one on each side of the arm 9% limit the movement of the belt shifter in each direction so that the forks 100 of the belt shifter are at all times accurately positioned to guide the belt onto the desired pulleys. When the latch 68 is depressed under the influence of the starting treadle to release the clutch and start the machine, the consequent rotation of the rock shaft 7 8 causes the lost motion in the connections with. the belt shifter to be taken up without however altering the position of the belt shifter so that the machine is driven at low speed. In order to opcrate the machine at high speed, the downward movement of the latch is continued by further depressing the starting treadle, thus rendering the connections above described operative to move the belt shifter 62 to its high speed position.

In thespecification of Arthur Bates Ser al No. 380,899 above referred to, it is stated that the feed or stitch length controlling aember 26 which is referred to as 94 in the Bates applicat on may be connected to a treadle by which the said member may be swung in one direction to vary the length of feed, the member being returned in the opposite direction when allowed to dov so by a spring. The illustrative machine is provided with means for arrang ng that a variation the length of feed will be effected as an incident of a variation in the speed of the machine caused by a change of the drive To this end the left hand end of the clutch lever 82 as seen in Figure 1 has formed in it a recess 102 into which enters a stop pin 10% fixed in the frame of the machine and arranged to be engaged by one or other side of the recess. Pivoted to the clutch lever at 106 about mid-way between its pivot 84: and its connection to the rod 80 is a treadle lever 108 lying parallel to the clutch lever 82. The right hand end of the treadle lever is connected to the treadle by a rod 110 and the left-hand end of the treadle lever is connected by a link 112 to a depending arm 114 of the member 26. lVhen the machine is at rest a strong spring, not shown, holds the feed controlling mechanism in its position of short feed as shown in Figure 1 and acts against the pivoting of the treadle lever 108 on its pivotal connection 106 to the clutch lever. When the treadle is depressed the clutch lever 82 and. the treadle lever 108 swing together about the pivot 8d of the clutch lever to trip the clutch and the sl din clutch member 58 is thereupon urged by springs into clutching engagement with the two-speed pulley member while the belt shifter is allowed by the lost motion connection above described to remain in its low speed position. The machine is thus driven at its slow speed and with a short work feed. When the treadle is further depressed the two levers 82 and 108 still swing together and the belt shifter 62 is moved to change the drive from the low speed pulley to the high speed pulley and the machine is caused to operate at its high speed but still with short work feed During all this downward movement of the treadle the recess 102 in the left-hand end of the clutch lever 82 has been moving relatively to the stop pin 10% and when the treadle has been depressed far enough to give the condition of speed and feed last described the clutch lever is prevented by the en agement of the side of the recess with the pin from swinging further and therefore when the treadle further depressed the treadle lever 108 swings on its pivotal connection 106 to the clutch lever and in so doing compresses the strong spring. in the feed mechanism referred to and causes the machine to operate with a long work feed while still being driven it its high speed. The connections described illow the initial. position of the feed controling member to be adjusted to vary the engths of feed. The said connections also llow the feed controlling member to be held in desired position (e. g. by adjustable steps) if it is desired to keepthe feed lengths constant or to reduce its controlling movement but nevertheless to actuate the treadle to produce a change in the speed at wh ch the machine is running.

Such a permissible variation in the sewing conditions as has been described is found to be particularly advantageous in a slipper turn shoe sewing machine designed to run at high speed and provided with continuousfeed mechanism since it allows a high running speed and comparatively long feed length to be made use of when working along the sides of a shoe where such handling of the upper materials as is necessary can be performed quickly and easily and no sharp curves exist to be negotiated by the continuous-feed devices and yet allows not only the stitch length to be reduced upon reaching the toe portion to an extent which removes any impediment to the steering of the work when feeding such sharply curved portions past the sewing point by continuous-feed devices of the kind referred to but also allows, by reducing the machine speed when the toe of the shoe is reached, that still greater drop of feed speed of the work past the sewing point which with a machine sewing say 500 stitches a minute is apparently necessary to enable the operator to dispose the successive portions of upper properly on the sole round the toe without having to stop the machine at all in sewing round the toe and so tending to produce loose sewing. As aforementioned there may occur between the low speed and short feed and high speed and long feed conditions an intermediate stage at which the machine runs with a high speed but with a short feed. This allows a smooth and easy change over from the low to the high speed conditions.

We have observed that while improved results in sewing are obtained not only from the avoidance of interruption in the sewing as last referred to and from the use of short stitches round the toe, still further improvement results if when the machine is running at low speed additional tension is applied to the thread. In the illustrative machine, there may for this purpose be secured to the rock-shaft 78 on which the latch 68 is secured an arm 116 which, when the treadle is actuated to change the machine speed from low to high is moved away from a position, as shown in Fig. 3, in which it comes into engagement with a longitudinally movable rod 118 and moves said rod to compress the tension spring 120 surrounding the rod and thus applies additional pressure to a tension disc 122 of usual type through which the thread is drawn during the sewing operation. Consequently the thread tension is reduced when the machine speed is raised but when the machine speed is dropped again the arm returns to position to apply the additional tension.

Repeated references have been made above to changing conditions encountered or desirable when sewing round the toe ends; generally speaking the same holds good when sewing round the heel ends (which is usually done in slipper turnshoes) and the mechanism justdescribed enables stitch length and machine speed both to be reduced if desirable when sewing round either or both ends of the shoe.

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated, and a machine embodying the several features of the invention having been specifically described, what is claimed is 1. In a shoe sewing machine, the combination with stitch forming and work feeding devices of a change speed device through which the machine is driven, means for vary ing the length of stitch formed by said stitch forming and work feeding devices, and

means for controlling conjointly the change speed device and the said means for varying the length of stitch.

2. In a shoe sewing machine, the combination with stitch forming and work feeding devices of a two-speed drive, means for varying the length of stitch formed by the stitch forming and work feeding devices, and means for controlling conjointly the twospeed drive and the said means for varying the length of stitch to secure a short length of stitch with the slow speed drive and a relatively long length of stitch with the high speed drive.

3. In a shoe sewing machine, the combination with stitch forming and work feeding devices of a change speed device through which the machine is driven, means for vary ing the length of stitch formed by said stitch forming and work feeding devices, and a member arranged to be moved by the operator, and means actuated from said member to vary conjointly the speed of the machine and the length of stitch formed.

4. In a shoe sewing machine, the combination with stitch forming and work feeding devices of a two-speed drive for the machine, means for varying the length of stitch formed by the stitch forming and work feeding devices, and a control member and suitable connections for controlling conjointly the two-speed drive and the said means for varying the length of stitch adapted for one position of the control member to drive the ma chine at low speed with a comparatively short length of stitch and for another position of the control member to drive the machine at high speed with a comparatively long length of stitch.

5. In a shoe sewing machine, the combination with stitch forming and work feeding devices of a two-speed drive for the machine, means for varying the length of stitch formed by the stitch forming and work feeding devices, and a control member and suitable connections for controlling conjointly the two-speed drive and the said means for varying the length of stitch adapted for one position of the control member to drive the machine at low speed with a comparatively short length of stitch and for another position of the control member to drive the machine at high speed with a comparatively long length of stitch, and for a third position of the control member to drive the machine at high speed with a short length of stitch.

with the high speed drive.

7. In a shoe sewing machine, the combination with stitch forming and work feeding devices of a change speed device through which the machine is driven, a thread tensioning device, means for varying the amount of the tension, means for varying the length of stitch formed by the stitch forming and work feeding devices, and means for controlling conjointly the change speed device, the means for Varying the length of the stitch, and the means for varying the tension during the operation of the machine.

8. In a shoe sewing machine, the combination with stitch forming and work feeding devices, of a cam shaft for the machine, a twospeed drive, a clutch mechanism for connecting the two speed drive to drive the cam shaft, means including a member for controlling the length of stitch formed by tne stitch forming and work feeding devices, a clutch lever operatively connected to the two-speed drive and to the clutch, and aconnecting member for controlling the movement of the said clutch member and the feed length control member movable first to engage the clutch and thereafter to shift the two-speed drive from low to high speed and thereafter to increase the length of stitch formed.

9. In a shoe sewing machine, the combination with stitch forming and work feeding devices, of a cam shaft for the machine, a twospeed drive, a clutch mechanism for connecting the two-speed drive to drive the cam shaft, a thread tensioning device, means for varying the amount of the tension, anda member and suitable connections for controlling the said clutch mechanism, the two-speed drive, and the said means for varying the tension, said member being movable to engage the clutch and thereafter movable a further distance to shift the two speed drive from low to high speed and simultaneously to reduce the'amount of the tension.

10. In a shoe sewing machine, the combination with stitch forming and work feeding devices, of a two-speed drive, means for varying the length of stitch formed by the stitch forming and work feeding devices, a lever movable within positive limits to control the operation of the two speed drive, a stitch control lever pivotally mounted on the said lever and connected to the said means for varying the length of stitch, and a treadle controlled mechanism connected to said stitch control lever adapted to move both levers together to shift the two-speed drive from 10W to high speed and thereafter to move the stitch control lever about its pivot on the said lever to increase the length of stitch formed.

11. In a shoe sewing machine, the combination with stitch forming and Work feeding devices, of a cam shaft for the machine, a two-speed drive, a clutch mechanism for connecting the two-speed drive to drive the cam shaft, a thread tensioning device, means for varying the amount of the tension, connections including a. latch movable slightly to permit the engagement of the clutch and movable further to shift the two-speed drive from loW to high speed and conjointly to actuate said tension controlling means to decrease the amount of the tension, means for varying the length of stitch formed by the stitch forming and Work feeding devices, a clutch lever arranged to operate Within positive limits to operate the latch, a feed control lever pivotally mounted on the clutch lever and connected to said means for varying the length of stitch, and treadle controlled mechanism adapted to move the clutch lever to operate the latch and further movable to rotate the stitch control lever about its pivot on the cluch lever to increase the length of stitch.

12. In a shoe sewing machine, the combination With stitch forming and Work feedingdevices, of a cam shaft for the machine, a two-speed drive for the cam shaft comprising a large and a small belt pulley, a belt shifter, a clutch mechanism for connecting the two-speed drive to drive the cam shaft, a thread tensioning device, a rock shaft, a latch secured to the rock shaft movable to permit the engagement of the clutch, additional connections secured to the rock shaft adapted upon further movement of the latch to actuate the belt shifter to shift the twospeed drive from low to high speed and conjointly to decrease the amount of tension exerted by the tensioning device, and a member controlled by the operator for actuating the latch and said connections.

13. In a machine for operating upon material fed through the machine the combination, with Work feeding and operating devices acting on the Work in regular recurring cycles, of a two-speed drive for the machine and controlling means for controlling the two-speed drive to drive the machine at either of two predetermined speeds, an connections actuated by said controlling means for varying the distance through Which the material is fed during each cycle.

14. In a machine for operating upon material fed through the machine the combination, With Work feeding and operating devices acting on the Work in regular recurring cycles, of a change speed device through 

